Murder

Chapter 3- Panic

I'm shaking and crying. I'm clutching the picture of my brother and I to my chest. I can see what is going on but I am paralyzed with fear. I keep thinking I'm going to die. I'm going to die just like he did. And there's nothing anybody can do to stop it. I am well aware that there were people near me, watching me, but there's nothing I can do about it. I can't stop. I know what's wrong with me but I can't stop it.

"Mom!" I hear Maranda scream. There's no need to be so loud. She sounds louder than an airplane. I think her mom came running in because I heard loud, hurried footsteps.

"Oh my God what happened?" her mom screams. Again with the loudness. My God you people are so loud.

"Is she having a seizure?" a paranoid guy's voice asks.

"No, no I think she's having a panic attack," I think that voice was Maranda's mom's. A panic attack? I can't be having a panic attack. There's no way. Not in front of everyone. I've had them before, but not in front of everyone. I slowly start to calm down. Once I completely calm down, I start to sit up.

"What happened to you?" that's Mason's voice, I can tell. I look up and I see his blue eyes, covered by his blond hair, but only halfway, so I can still see how nervous they look. He has a look of concern on his face. Eyebrows raised, eyes wide, mouth slightly open. I used to give that look to Russ all the time when he came home with a bad grade and he didn't know how to tell our parents. As I look around, I see everybody has that look on their face. I don't want to see that. I look down.

Mason is a little crazy, but he's also really funny. He's one of my best guy friends, and I hang out with him a lot. According to him he's "true sometimes" because he was trying to say he tells the truth sometimes but he ended up saying he's true sometimes. Sometimes when he makes fun of people he has a southern accent so you know he's joking. He spends a lot of time watching funny videos online and playing video games. He's a football player. He plays guard. He's 13, and he has an older sister.

Deep breaths. In and out. In. Out. Keep looking down. Don't meet their eyes. A hand touches my shoulder. I jump a little. "It's okay. It's okay," it's Nate. His voice sounds concerned and distant. Like he's trying to think of something better to say but can't. He stands in front of me and sits down. I keep my head down, but I shift my eyes up so I can see him. I look into his bright blue eyes, which are half covered by his long dark brown hair. His eyes look nervous, just like Mason's, and I can tell he's looking for something to say.

I stand up. Justin and Cody stand off to the side. "Are, uh, are-are you ok? What happened?" Justin looks worried and uncomfortable. He's like me, strong-willed and stubborn. I'm sure he didn't expect that to happen.

"It's fine. I'm fine." There's that word fine. I keep saying that word. But what defines fine? I'm alive, I guess that's fine enough. Justin pushes his long brown hair out of his eyes, finally one of the guys moves their hair out of their eyes, it's annoying to see their hair in their eyes. His blue eyes were filled with concern.

Justin is my best guy friend. He turned 14 this week. He's an only child. He's really smart, a straight A student. He's also really sarcastic and funny. He jokes around a lot, and makes fun of a lot of people we both don't like. He's pretty much exactly like me but a guy and around 6 inches taller. Also a lot stronger, but that's because he plays football. He plays center. He kind of acts like a brother, in a way. He likes to cook and he spends a lot of time outside at the park.

Cody is 13, he's the oldest and the only boy in his family, he has two little sisters. He also plays guard like Mason. He's smart too. He's a really fast runner. He can also climb trees like a monkey. He has hazel eyes and short light brown hair.